Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Auburn Tigers Baseball outfielder Cade Belyeu stepped out onto the baseball diamond for the team's season opener on Friday, Feb. 14, and it was a feat of resilience and strength. Just hours earlier, Belyeu lost his mom Staci after a battle with cancer. Playing that night was a decision that Belyeu, a sophomore on the team, made alongside his head coach Butch Thompson, father Roger, and the support of his entire baseball team.

"About 10:30 I was wrestling, sitting here trying to figure out,” Thompson told local1819 News. "'He wants to play. Is he really going to play?' So I called his dad and said, 'I'm the coach and you're the father. What do you want? I yield to you.' And he said Staci wanted him to play."

Before he took his position, Belyeu ran onto the field and got down on bended knee to say a prayer before the team lined up for the National Anthem. The announcer shared with the crowd that Staci passed away that morning from cancer, with Belyeu wiping away tears as he put his hat back on to start the game.

During the bottom of the sixth inning, he stepped up to the plate and took a powerful swing. "Fly ball, right center. It's deep...it's gone! He hit it out of here!" a sportscaster emphatically yells in a video shared on Instagram. Another sportscaster adds, "Some things just transcend the human experience and how sports can bring everybody together."

The clip ends with Coach Thompson talking to the team following the game, giving a touching speech on how incredible Belyeu was. Thompson also gifts Belyeu his home run ball, which was caught by a young fan in the stands but later returned for him to have. His teammates give him a roaring applause, and they embrace as Belyeu wells with tears.

"I think it was the most inspiring thing we've ever seen. The crowd, our crowd is just amazing. They absolutely sensed what was going on with him and the ovation for him," Thompson said. "The home run, that's just how amazing things happen through this game. We want to honor her and I know Cade played for his mom today. That was the number one thing that happened tonight. Some things are bigger than ball. This was one of those moments."

"Amazing things happen through this game," Thompson added. In another interview with Auburn University, Thompson shared Belyeu's willingness to play and home run was, "One of the most inspiring things I have seen in 32 years."

The emotional home run and Belyeu's resilience received an overwhelming response in the video's comments.

"He was right where Mom would have wanted him. Playing the game that he loves. The homerun was her telling him. Lifting this family up in prayer and peace to their aching souls," one wrote.

"Okay, that go[t] me. God Bless him and his family! 🙌❤️😢" another added. Another touched fan wrote, "I cried & cried!!! Tears of thankfulness for a Momma who raised such a fine & strong son!!!"

baseballauburnauburn tigerscancerhome runcancer battleresiliencecollege baseballcade belyeuseason opener

The Latest

Mary Maloney and some of the team that have helped on her journey to recovery.
Health

Paralyzed teen takes her first steps in years, then takes 999 more

Diner shocked as waiter places $25 tip back on table, saying it’s too low
Culture

Diner shocked as waiter places $25 tip back on table, saying it’s too low

pay cut, career upgrade, employee quits, salary negotiation, workplace justice, job resignation, HR blunder
Culture

HR thought they could slash his pay quietly, he blew up their whole plan

In 1938, Nazis demanded to know if 'The Hobbit' author was Jewish. He responded with a high-class burn.
Heroes

In 1938, Nazis demanded to know if 'The Hobbit' author was Jewish. He responded with a high-class burn.

More For You

fishing, savings loves, Mossel Bay, unexpected catch

Representative Image: One man hauled in a bigger catch than he'd expected.

Photo of Mossel Bay by Bob Adams via Wikimedia Commons

A fisherman cast his line—and pulled a drowning woman from the water

A woman’s midnight swim at Dias Beach in Mossel Bay nearly turned tragic when she was swept up in a powerful rip current on December 18. The 31-year-old, from George, South Africa, found herself drifting farther from the shore with no strength left to swim back. Luckily, a group of local fishermen nearby saw her struggle and acted fast.

One cast changed everything

One fisherman came up with a solution that sounds like something out of a movie—using his fishing rod to reel her in. With a Kabeljou hook on the line, he cast directly at the woman, aiming for her jeans.

Keep ReadingShow less
A receipt with a heartfelt message and a tattoo of a semicolon.

A night out and a subtle tattoo led to a meaningful connection.

Canva | Katie Battel

The couple recognized her semicolon tattoo—and left a message that moved her to tears

When Katie, a server in Buffalo, New York, shared a simple story on social media, she had no idea just how many people it would touch. Her post centered around a kind gesture from a couple dining at her restaurant—one that left her in tears and uplifted thousands more online.

Katie shared a photo of the receipt left by the couple. Along with a generous tip, they’d written: "We noticed your ; tattoo. We're glad you are still here and that you helped us have a great meal. Thanks." For those familiar with the semicolon symbol, the message carried deep meaning. Often associated with mental health awareness and survival, the tattoo struck a personal chord with Katie.

Keep ReadingShow less
A national park.

Representative depiction of Matusadona National Park

Photo credit: Canva

7-year-old boy found alive after five days lost in Zimbabwe’s lion territory

For five harrowing days, 7-year-old Tinotenda Pudu from Zimbabwe wandered alone through Matusadona National Park, one of Africa's most dangerous wildernesses. According to CNN, the child vanished from his village on December 27, unknowingly trekking into the lion-populated expanse of nearly 570 square miles.

Alone in a predator’s domain

Representative depiction of Matusadona National ParkCanva

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman carrying a box of her things from the building.

Representative Image: Tip for bosses, make sure you know what property is really yours before laying people off.

Representative photo by Canva

Her boss fired her with one petty request. She followed it—and it backfired perfectly.

Being fired can be a gut punch, especially when you've spent years going above and beyond. But when Reddit user u/everybodys-therapist was let go, she didn’t just walk away—she walked out with everything that was hers. And her boss watched it all, helpless and increasingly horrified.

She became the backbone of her company—and paid for it

Over the years, the professional media designer found herself doing the work of multiple people. Hired to focus on design, she was soon running major events, handling AV setups, and basically keeping the whole operation together.

Keep ReadingShow less
Betty White at the Emmy Awards in 1988.

Betty spent a lifetime on TV making us smile and changing history.

Alan Light

Betty White refused to back down when told to fire a Black dancer from her show in the 50s

Betty White, a beloved icon known for her wit, warmth, and fearless spirit, left an indelible legacy not just through her work on screen, but in the stands she took behind the scenes—often long before it was popular to do so. One of the most powerful examples of this came in the 1950s, when White was asked to remove a Black dancer from The Betty White Show because of the color of his skin. Her response? Classic Betty: “I’m sorry, but he stays...Live with it!”

"He stays... Live with it!"

— Betty White

This was during the height of racial segregation in America, and the performer in question was tap dancer Arthur Duncan, a young and incredibly talented artist at the time. White had given him his television debut, a significant moment for any entertainer, especially for a Black performer in the Jim Crow era.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025